What did the first anniversary of the invasion bring?
A look back at the diplomatic, military and street-level events that marked the first anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
What did the first anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine look like? On 24 February 2023, it was marked by protests, a diplomatic proposal from Beijing and a fresh delivery of Western armour.
China unveiled a 12-point position paper on ending the war, ahead of an expected speech on the conflict by President Xi Jinping. Ukraine said it hoped China could use the paper to urge Russia to withdraw its troops.
On the military side, Poland delivered the first Leopard 2 main battle tanks to Ukraine, part of the continuing flow of military aid during the war.
Protests took place in countries around the world, and major landmarks were lit up to mark the anniversary. In Russia, anti-war activists were detained as demonstrators marked the date. A day earlier, on 23 February 2023, pro-Ukraine protesters in Washington, D.C., had confronted visitors heading to the Russian embassy.
A further development came on 22 February 2023, when Russian President Vladimir Putin revoked a 2012 foreign policy decree that had underpinned Moldova's sovereignty in resolving the political status of the breakaway Transnistria region.
